These 21 Countries Accept Expired ID Cards for Travel, Are You Affected ?

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Since 2014, the validity of national identity cards (CNI) issued between January 2, 2004 and December 31, 2013 has been automatically extended by 5 years, bringing their total validity period to 15 years old. This means that even if the expiration date on your card appears to have passed, it may still be valid.

Here are the conditions to respect:

• Your CNI must have been issued between January 2, 2004 and December 31, 2013.
• You must be of legal age at the time the card is issued.
• The card must be in good condition and not not have been damaged.

If you meet these conditions, your identity card is automatically valid for 15 years from the date of date of issue. For example, a card issued in 2013 is now valid until 2028 provided that its holder was born in 1995 or earlier.

Countries which accept the CNI with expired appearance

Here is the list of countries which accept the identity card with extended validity&nbsp ;:

Andorra, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Croatia, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, Czech Republic, San Marino, Serbia, Slovenia, Switzerland and Turkey . Tunisia also accepts this card for dual nationals or people participating in trips organized by tourism professionals.

Some countries have not officially stated their position on this matter, but they usually accept expired-looking ID cards:

Germany, Austria, Denmark, Spain, Finland, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Sweden, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Vatican, Albania, North Macedonia, Bosnia- Herzegovina and Egypt.

Be careful if you travel to these countries

Despite the extension of the validity date of CNIs, some countries are less flexible and only accept cards with an expiry date explicitly indicated. If you are traveling to Belgium, Lithuania, Norway or Romania, make sure you have a card with the actual expiration date.

If you have If you have any doubts about the documents required to enter the country of your choice, you can consult the Travel Advice website. All the necessary information for each country is available by clicking on the country and consulting the “Entry/Residence” section.

How to avoid surprises with the old identity card

If you have an old identity card (the plastic blue card), pay attention to the countries you want to go to and consider the following options:

Renew an identity card: under what conditions ?

Renewing your identity card when you have a valid card is not necessary, or even impossible in some cases. Here are the conditions for renewing your identity card:

• Your card will expire soon
• You have lost your card, or it has been stolen
• The card is damaged
• You have changed marital status

France Identity: a new reason to renew the identity card ?

France Identity is a government service that offers any citizen the opportunity to obtain a secure and practical digital identity. The application, launched in the test phase in 2022, works in tandem with the new national biometric identity card, allowing users to prove their identity online and access various administrative procedures.

France Identity allows you to digitize your identity card and driving license. However, it is not possible to digitize old format identity cards, since they do not have integrated biometrics. To allow more users to access France Identity, the government should soon add a new reason for early renewal of the CNI. It will therefore be possible to use this reason to renew your identity card and obtain a new biometric card.

And the passport in all that?

Whatever happens, having a valid passport is always a plus for traveling, whether in Europe or in other countries. The passport is valid for 5 years for minors and 10 years for adults. Please note: some countries require a passport valid for several months after the return date of the trip. To find out if your destination is affected, go to the Travel Advice website.

Travel with peace of mind by adopting these good practices

• Check the requirements of your destination country: Check the requirements in terms of documents, passport and visa in advance, and, if necessary, complete the administrative procedures. Remember that some countries require a passport valid for several months after the return date, or mandatory vaccinations to enter the country.
• Make copies and scan your documents: with or without France Identity, it is practical to create an online file containing your identity card, your passport and your official documents. Feel free to print them. In the event of loss or theft of the originals, these documents can be very useful.
• Provide travel insurance: In some countries, medical costs can be very high. Travel insurance can cover these costs, as well as those related to lost documents, lost or stolen luggage, and much more.

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